(Windom, Mn.)—An armed suspect who led authorities in southwest Minnesota in a pursuit Saturday died after crashing a motorcycle he was driving into a state trooper’s squad car.
Authorities say the suspect, who was armed with a knife, fled from sheriff’s deputies following a pursuit that went through portions of Murray and Cottonwood counties. A short time later a state trooper was traveling east on Cottonwood County Road 10 when he saw the suspect stopped ahead of him. Authorities say the trooper, 42-year-old Jeffrey Stearns of Marshall, Minnesota, stopped his squad car and activated his emergency lights. The suspect, 33-year-old Chad Danneman of Slayton, Minnesota, who was driving a 1998 Harley Davidson motorcycle, then accelerated at a high rate of speed toward the squad car, crossing into the trooper’s lane. The motorcycle then collided head-on with the squad car. Danneman was ejected from the motorcycle and was pronounced dead on the scene. Minor injuries were reported to Stearns.
The incident took place shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday.